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finishing a braintanned hide

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BowEd:
Yes the hide is laced in a frame and one method is to use a stick and push and slide your stick over all areas of the hide to stretch your hide as it is drying.You might need to retighten your frame work as you push and slide your hide.[In fact I'll guarantee you will]Brain tanning leather is a process of keeping the leather stretched all directions until dry.[A sort of race]In the frame method means you are there till your done.Roping means you can take a break and put it in a plastic bag 1/2 hour or hour,twist bag tight to seal and resume when your break is over.Putting it in a bag once in a while has two benefits.You get your break and the wetter portions of your hide dissapate moisture to the dryer portions and helps to hurry the process up to a degree.These hides are not shaved to the same thickness so thinner portions dry sooner.I use a rope inch and a quarter thick but any rope will work.Doing it in a frame does leave you with a nice flat but thinner peice of leather.Doing it the rope method leaves a thicker but springier leather.Making clothes from the frame method is easier for patterning and areas like the knees etc. might not get stretched as much as the roping method.Either method is a matter of personal taste.It's wonderful tough tough stuff.It takes a number of hides to get the hang of it.Like bow making you have to be persistant to get what you want.I had Mr. John Mcphearson[Praire Wolf] help me with his books plus I met him at rendezvous and he is a very nice man.

nclonghunter:
Beadman, I must agree with you on removing the hair grain for brain tanning. I have brain tanned a buffalo hide nd deer hides, applying the brains on the flesh side on multiple coatings and working into the hide. Then smoked the hide, again on the flesh side, which resulted in a nice hide. However, it did not get the soft stretchy quality of removing the flesh and grain before braining.
I can squeeze the brains through the hide like a wash cloth with the grain removed, never been able to do that with grain on. If you want a shirt or leggings that are super soft and stretchy and will not get stiff after getting wet, then remove all the grain and flesh... 8)

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